Tuesday is Boots Day
by Norwegian Blue
Summary: Arthur's point of view of the last scene from 2.9, Lady of the Lake. Includes spoilers up to and including that episode.


If Merlin had something on his mind, he joked a lot more. He was more sarcastic and made more comments at Arthur's expense. It took Arthur a while to realize this, because being more sarcastic than the average servant and making jokes at Arthur's expense was normal behavior for Merlin. Once he did, however, he also noticed that Merlin's behavior went in cycles. There was normally sarcastic Merlin who was actually learning to be a good servant. Then there was worried-sarcastic Merlin, who in addition to being more sarcastic than usual, was also either a much better or much worse servant. This usually meant that Merlin had something on his mind and he was trying to distract Arthur from realizing this by being an exceptional servant, or he had something on his mind and therefore wasn't paying attention to his duties.

Then there was earnest, emotional Merlin. This Merlin didn't show up too much, which Arthur was grateful for, because Earnest Merlin usually showed up around when there was an attempt on Arthur's life or when he was deadly ill or Merlin was trying to drink poison for him or someone was going to jail who shouldn't be. Really, Earnest Merlin was getting to be bad luck.

So obviously it was in Arthur's best interests to curtail this current Earnest Merlin phase before the castle burnt down or something.

He wasn't sure what brought it up, though he supposed he should have seen it coming. Things must be really bad if Merlin had resorted to calling Arthur fat and somehow playing tricks on him with his food. He supposed Merlin had had a rough time of it lately, what with having an unrequited (he hoped) crush on Morgana and then apparently resorted to stealing her clothes to make up for not being able to be with her. Then that whole thing with Gaius almost being burned alive. To say nothing of being forced to go on the lam because a troll accused him of stealing her stolen birthright. Having to hide around the castle for a week while trying not to be found must have done even stranger things to Merlin's mind. And as far as he could remember, Arthur thought he had seemed distraught when he had talked Arthur down when they came back from that sorceress. Arthur supposed being threatened by that bounty hunter must have tipped the scales.

Even if he had stolen his breakfast before that happened.

In any case, Arthur had seen Merlin's face while he and the knights had faced down that flying cat creature. Really, they had been in much more dangerous positions before without Ernest Merlin showing up. But there it was, with Merlin staring in anguish at the cat creature before running off. Merlin never ran off. Backed off, yes. Did that all the time. But flat out run?

On top of it, today was Tuesday. Tuesday was boots day, where, on top of his normal duties, Merlin polished Arthur's boots. It was boring, repetitive work, and would only serve to leave Merlin alone in his head and keep thinking about whatever it was Merlin was thinking about. Arthur began thinking up a list of things that he could make Merlin do that would move boot day to Wednesday this week.

He found him and unfortunately, Merlin had already gotten started on his boots.

All right then. He sat down next to Merlin and put his hands on his knees.

Well, if there could be earnest, sarcastic Merlin, that definitely gave him permission to be earnest, sarcastic Arthur. He was, after all, pretty sure that throwing water at Merlin hadn't tipped him over the edge.

And there it was. The emotional, earnest look slid off Merlin's face and the face that Merlin usually made when he called Arthur a prat was firmly in place.

He thought about going in for a manly hug then, remembering a few weeks before when that had almost happened, but he didn't think Earnest Merlin would be kept away by an arbitrary pat on the back. So he knocked Merlin off balance and squeezed his arm around Merlin's chin and rubbed his knuckle into his head and didn't stop until he heard Merlin laugh.

He still wasn't going to leave him alone with those boots, though.


End file.
